Andy Black
Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
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EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
LEGACY MEMBER
Show don't tell & Putting the first things first
I had a Skype call with a prospect last night.
He read some of my TFLF posts and liked that my focus was on simplifying things, and on bringing results NOT increasing traffic.
He told me the history of their AdWords account, and how an agency took over 18 months ago and traffic and spend was up, but they're not sure sales have gone up similarly.
He explained that they didn't have tracking and reporting nailed down yet, so didn't know what was working and what wasn't.
I told him that I think too many people get anal about tracking and reporting, and aren't doing the right things in the first place - like getting the right offer in front of the right people at the right time.
I then suggested he open their AdWords account and share his screen with me.
I then proceeded to show him where he was potentially missing out on sales. They were getting a lot of visitors who were looking for information, and not getting the visitors who were looking to buy.
I SHOWED him what search terms people were coming in on, and showed how there were none for a particular product they were selling. This was a big AHA moment for him.
He's so delighted he's going to get the owner of the business onto a call with me next week.
...
So what happened and what can you take away from this even if you're not an AdWords dude?
1) I explained something to him and he logically agreed with it. However, it wasn't until he saw how it impacted his own business that he GOT it. Cue widened eyes, sit back in chair, slow nodding. The AHA moment.
2) The above is a case of SHOW DON'T TELL. I showed him his bleeding neck. It's also a case of me showing him that I know my stuff.
I didn't tell him I was good. I didn't tell him who I'd worked for, what results I had achieved, how long I'd been in business. All that can come at the end of the call next week with his boss present.
The first thing I did was get to helping him - educating him, consulting immediately.
I did a SHOW DON'T TELL with my expertise.
("Add value first" anyone?)
3) A Skype video call helps them get to know you pretty damn quick. I don't mind that they see me in my playroom with kids posters behind me. It was 10pm. Anyway, if they have an issue they're not the client for me.
4) A screenshare where he looks over my shoulder can impress people with me whizzing round the screen. Except it can also lose them.
A screenshare where I look over their shoulder and direct them to type things in, click on buttons, unhide columns, sort by this and by that... well, that equally impresses people, but moves at their pace, AND gives them the skills to keep doing it after the call.
He now has the columns in his AdWords interface setup better. He now knows what they mean. He now knows how to drill down and replicate the work I did with him.
I suspect he might get his boss in and show him what we learned. (He literally had to go to a monthly management meeting straight after the call.) Maybe they'll all sit round the office excitedly spotting missed opportunities and "GETTING" it instead of thinking it's the preserve of a technical whizz.
5) *** IMPORTANT ***
He's not the decision maker, his boss is. But he's my champion in the business. If I make him look good, and promise him an easier and more successful future, then he's going to pull out all the stops to make it happen.
With his new skills he can show the company what I showed him. Maybe they're now wondering what else they can learn if that's what happened in one hour, of mostly chatting?
YOUR BOSS IS WHOEVER SIGNS YOUR TIMESHEET (or approves your invoice).
If I'm going to be working with this guy, and he's reporting into his boss, then his boss is NOT my client. This guy is.
Of course, I want to get on a call with the business owner and SHOW DON'T TELL his bleeding neck, and SHOW DON'T TELL how I can stem it, and how I can help them make more money.
...
What's your main takeaway?
What will you do differently going forward?
I had a Skype call with a prospect last night.
He read some of my TFLF posts and liked that my focus was on simplifying things, and on bringing results NOT increasing traffic.
He told me the history of their AdWords account, and how an agency took over 18 months ago and traffic and spend was up, but they're not sure sales have gone up similarly.
He explained that they didn't have tracking and reporting nailed down yet, so didn't know what was working and what wasn't.
I told him that I think too many people get anal about tracking and reporting, and aren't doing the right things in the first place - like getting the right offer in front of the right people at the right time.
I then suggested he open their AdWords account and share his screen with me.
I then proceeded to show him where he was potentially missing out on sales. They were getting a lot of visitors who were looking for information, and not getting the visitors who were looking to buy.
I SHOWED him what search terms people were coming in on, and showed how there were none for a particular product they were selling. This was a big AHA moment for him.
He's so delighted he's going to get the owner of the business onto a call with me next week.
...
So what happened and what can you take away from this even if you're not an AdWords dude?
1) I explained something to him and he logically agreed with it. However, it wasn't until he saw how it impacted his own business that he GOT it. Cue widened eyes, sit back in chair, slow nodding. The AHA moment.
2) The above is a case of SHOW DON'T TELL. I showed him his bleeding neck. It's also a case of me showing him that I know my stuff.
I didn't tell him I was good. I didn't tell him who I'd worked for, what results I had achieved, how long I'd been in business. All that can come at the end of the call next week with his boss present.
The first thing I did was get to helping him - educating him, consulting immediately.
I did a SHOW DON'T TELL with my expertise.
("Add value first" anyone?)
3) A Skype video call helps them get to know you pretty damn quick. I don't mind that they see me in my playroom with kids posters behind me. It was 10pm. Anyway, if they have an issue they're not the client for me.
4) A screenshare where he looks over my shoulder can impress people with me whizzing round the screen. Except it can also lose them.
A screenshare where I look over their shoulder and direct them to type things in, click on buttons, unhide columns, sort by this and by that... well, that equally impresses people, but moves at their pace, AND gives them the skills to keep doing it after the call.
He now has the columns in his AdWords interface setup better. He now knows what they mean. He now knows how to drill down and replicate the work I did with him.
I suspect he might get his boss in and show him what we learned. (He literally had to go to a monthly management meeting straight after the call.) Maybe they'll all sit round the office excitedly spotting missed opportunities and "GETTING" it instead of thinking it's the preserve of a technical whizz.
5) *** IMPORTANT ***
He's not the decision maker, his boss is. But he's my champion in the business. If I make him look good, and promise him an easier and more successful future, then he's going to pull out all the stops to make it happen.
With his new skills he can show the company what I showed him. Maybe they're now wondering what else they can learn if that's what happened in one hour, of mostly chatting?
YOUR BOSS IS WHOEVER SIGNS YOUR TIMESHEET (or approves your invoice).
If I'm going to be working with this guy, and he's reporting into his boss, then his boss is NOT my client. This guy is.
Of course, I want to get on a call with the business owner and SHOW DON'T TELL his bleeding neck, and SHOW DON'T TELL how I can stem it, and how I can help them make more money.
...
What's your main takeaway?
What will you do differently going forward?
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